KIU’s MicroRobot Research Club (academic advisor Han, Bong-soo) from the School of Robotics Engineering, was selected as the best club for venture startups by Gyeongsangbuk-do Province after developing a system by which a seat belt is fastened automatically. A 5,000,000 support fund is going to be used to develop business startup items and commercialize them.

The ‘Venture Startup Club Support Project’ of Gyeongsangbuk-do Province singles out 10 clubs for business startups (the grand prize(1 club), excellence award(4 clubs), participation prize(5 clubs)) and gives differential assistance in order to motivate students to create their own venture startups and produce a social atmosphere. The evaluation criteria are the possibility of commercialization, the originality, the possibility of success of an item, and the operational performance of the club.
The MicroRobot Research Club submitted acar seat belt as a business item which is removable automatically. This item received the top grade due to its excellent creativity and the high feasibility of commercialization.

The leader of the club(Lee, Kyung-ro, School of Robotics Engineering) and other 9 members came up with the ‘automatically removable car seat belt’ as a business item through a brainstorming session last February. They found that many people tend not to wear their seat belts when they drive a short distance, but car accidents can occur in this case. Furthermore, there are existing car seat belts were manual belts are hard to adjust, especially for the mobility handicapped including the old, the weak, and the disabled. The idea for the ‘automatically removable car seat belt’ came from this critical realization.

This car seat belt has the same shape as the existing products, but it has increased safety and convenience by automatically fastening or unfastening the seat belt. This product checks the presence of a passenger by using a pressure sensor, sends motor control values from the MCU(a dedicated processor which controls the product, corresponding to the CPU in the computer) to the motor, automatically controls the seat belt by docking clip and buckle by use of the elasticity of polycarbonate. The development of this seat belt and safety device should facilitate the prevention of traffic accidents and encourage safer driving.

This product and its control algorithm software are going to be patented and the plan for commercialization is being made soon. As STP strategy, 4P strategy, and SWOT analysis have been completed up to now, they are going to expand the market alongside an increase in demand for smart cars.

Lee Kyung-ro, the club leader, said that “even during summer vacation, many students are preparing ‘2017 college promising startups team 300 competition’ in the club laboratory, and are going to attend the academic conference of the ‘Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems (ICROS)’ after writing a paper based on this item.” and “I want to be an established software developer through academic activity and practical work which are done in our club every vacation.”

Advisor Han Bong-soo (Dean of School of Robotics Engineering) said a few words on being selected consecutively that “I feel rewarded being an advisor because our team was selected as the best club in 2012, an excellent club in 2014 and 2015, and the best club in 2016 and 2017 in the campus venture startups contest hosted by Gyeongsangbuk-do Province.” He also stated that “I teach students to build adaptability and speciality through practical training as well as academic research focusing on theory” and “these activities will play a key role in cultivating creative development ability and knowledge-based executive ability which are necessary on the spot after graduation.”

Since the MicroRobot Research Club from the School of Robotics Engineering at KIU was founded in 1993, it has been producing and studying various kinds of creative robots, such as a microrobot utilizing microprocessors and embedded systems. Academic research on major fields, the development of new technology or joint production with related industries, product exhibition in and outside of the campus, and finding items for employment/foundation are the principal activity areas of this club.